Flyers Keys To Game 3

After an unbelievable Game 2 on Friday night, today the Flyers will have the opportunity to go up 3-0 in the series.  The Flyers can't sit back and be satisfied with what they have accomplished so far in this series.  The Flyers have to keep their foot on the gas and try and take a 3-0 lead today.  Here are the keys to a Flyers victory.

1. Timeout Before Game
I'm not kidding about this.  In the first two games of this series, it took a Peter Laviolette timeout to get the Flyers going.  So for today, the Flyers should go out for the opening puck drop and just before the game officially begins, Laviolette should call a timeout.  There is something magical about a Lavy timeout, and the Flyers would be better off using it before the game instead of when they find themselves behind 2 or 3 goals.

2. Young Gun
In my game 2 preview, one of my keys was for one of the young guys to step up.  Sean Couterier did just that, taking Evgeni Malkin out of the game and notching three goals himself.  Today, the Flyers need either Couterier or another young player to have similar success.

3. Special Teams
The Flyers were sent to the box on 5 separate occasions on Friday night, and the penalty kill allowed just two goals. What's even more impressive is the Flyers scored two short handed goals and were 1 for 3 on the power play.  The Flyers have to continue to be aggressive on special teams.

4. Bryzgalov
If someone who hadn't watched any games of this series took a quick look at the box scores, they would probably come to the conclusion that Bryzgalov is struggling.  But the box scores certainly don't tell the whole story, and in reality Bryzgalov is playing extremely well.  He is flashing leather and playing at the top of the crease which says to me that he has all the confidence in the world right now.  Bryz needs to continue to play well this afternoon.

5. Home Ice
The Flyers didn't have a dazzling home record during the regular season, but I think that playing at home today is going to really play to the Flyers advantage.  Returning home with a 2-0 lead against the hated Penguins is a recipe for an absolutely electric crowd at the Wells Fargo Center.  I expect the Flyers faithful to be completely Flyered up today.

The first two games of this series were two of the best hockey games I've ever seen.  In my mind, Game 1 ranks up there with Game 7 against the Bruins in 2010.  But the Flyers can't be satisfied with how they played out in Pittsburgh.  While they certainly did a lot of things right, they also have a lot of things they need to work on to be victorious today.  Ultimately I think the crowd at the Wells Fargo Center is going to propel the Flyers to another victory.  I think the Flyers will fall behind by 1 early on, and then respond with 4 unanswered goals to win the game 4-1.  

Flyers Take Commanding 2-0 Series Lead

Bryz robs Kris Letang.

2 hat-tricks, 2 short handed goals, another early deficit overcome, and a final score of 8-5.  If you told me these things before the start of Game 2, I probably wouldn't have believed you.  But after a crazy back and forth game, the Flyers again came away victorious winning by a final of 8-5, and some of the individual performances in Game 2 are still hard to believe.

The Penguins again got out to an early lead.  The Flyers attempted a 5 man change after the opening face off, but the Penguins were able to beat the Flyers in transition thanks to a Susie Crosby goal.  From there the Penguins added a power play goal to take a 2-0 lead.  Max Talbot scored a shorthanded goal halfway through the first to make it a 2-1 game.  The Penguins then added a late first period goal to go up 3-1.

The second period can be described in three words: back and forth.  The Flyers tied the game at 3, but the Penguins quickly reclaimed the lead mid way through the period.  Sean Couterier added a late second period goal to tie the game at 4 heading into the final period.

The Penguins scored early in the third period, but that would be it.  From there the Flyers scored 4 unanswered goals to close out the game.  Couterier tied the game at 5, Jagr gave the Flyers a 6-5 advantage, and Couterier and Giroux both scored to close out the game.

It was truly an unbelievable game.  While it's tough to pin point one main turning point, I would say Couterier's second goal which tied the game at 5 was a real tough goal for the Penguins to take.  The Penguins had just taken the lead and had to be feeling pretty good about their chances of winning the game.  But then Couterier came back just a few moments later and tied the game up, completely robbing any momentum the Penguins may have built.  The Penguins look depleted after the goal and were simply unable to respond.

Offensively Couterier and Giroux both had hat-tricks. Talbot and Jagr also scored against their former team.  Overall the Flyers never quit on offense and continued to work hard even when they were behind.  It was amazing to watch them continue to fight and continue to find ways to score.

And although Bryzgalov gave up 5 goals, he still had an amazing game.  Bryz had some fantastic saves throughout the game, and was able to really buckle down in the third and keep the puck out of net.  Bryz was flashing the leather all night and robbing people left and right.

The Flyers now have a commanding 2-0 lead as the series shifts to Philadelphia.  On Sunday, the Flyers will have a great opportunity to really put the Penguins away in front of what is sure to be an absolute electric crowd at the Wells Fargo Center.  The first two games of this series have been extremely entertaining and I can't wait to see what is in store for Game 3.

Flyers Keys To Game 2

Early and often boys, LET'S GO!

Game 1 was fun, exciting, and very memorable.  To come back from a 3 goal deficit in the opening game of the playoffs is something that very few teams can accomplish.  But Game 1 is now a thing of the past, and tonight the Flyers have to be entirely focused on taking a 2-0 lead in the series.  Here are tonight's keys to a Flyers victory.

1. Hot Start
The Flyers have fallen behind early in games all year but they can't continue to do so in the playoffs.  Everyone likes an exciting comeback, but the Flyers need to do a better job of coming out with a lot of intensity in the first period.  It shouldn't take a 2-0 deficit and a Peter Laviolette timeout to get these boys going.

2. G, Jags, Hartsy
Not to say that this line played bad in Game 1, but I would definitely like to see some more production from them tonight.  Danny Briere can't be relied upon to score all of the goals for the Flyers.  Other guys, namely Giroux and veterans Jagr and Hartnell need to get involved offensively.

3. Long Possessions
The Flyers dominated the Penguins in the second and third periods on Wednesday mainly because they were able to sustain long offensive possessions.  The Flyers were diving and making plays just to keep the puck in the zone and give the offense more opportunities to score.  Tonight the Flyers need to continue to keep the puck in Pittsburgh's zone.

4. Traffic In Front
This kind of goes without saying, but getting traffic out in front of Penguins goalie Marc-Andre Fleury is going to be key tonight.  Brayden Schenn and Jakub Voracek both scored on Wednesday by getting out in front of the net and trying to make things happen.

5. Bryzgalov
After allowing 3 goals in the first period of Game 1, Bryzgalov was perfect in the remainder of the game.  But giving up 3 goals in the first period of a playoff game puts a lot of pressure on the goalie, so Bryz needs to come out focused and ready to play strong early on.

6. Young Gun
Brayden Schenn was the outstanding rookie of the game on Wednesday night.  In Game 2, another rookie needs to step up and have a big game.  I think that either Matt Read or Sean Couterier could have a big game tonight.

7. Forget About Game 1
Game 1 is a thing of the past.  The Flyers need to build off of what they did well on Wednesday, but they can't get over confident and relaxed.  The Flyers have a great opportunity to take a 2-0 lead in this series.  If they are still celebrating Wednesday's victory, this series could very easily return to Philadelphia tied 1-1.

It should be a very entertaining game tonight.  I think the Flyers will jump out to an early 2-0 lead, but the Penguins will battle back and tie the game at 2.  Ultimately I think the Flyers will win by a final of 3-2 and bring a 2-0 series lead back to Philadelphia.

NHL Full Playoff Preview

Here is a complete breakdown of the 2012 NHL playoffs.  Scroll down to the bottom of the article for a link to my Penguins Flyers preview.


Western Conference Series 1: #1 Vancouver Canucks vs #8 Los Angeles Kings

Canucks

The Canucks finished first in the west with 111 points.  Roberto Luongo is going to have a lot of pressure on him.  Luongo had 31 wins with a 2.41 GAA and a .919 save percentage.  But backup goalie Cory Schneider had 20 wins and a 1.96 GAA and a .937 save percentage, so Luongo is going to be on a very short leash. Offensively Vancouver finished 5th in the league in scoring so they can definitely put up some goals.

Head coach  Alain Vigneault is going to have to do a good job of balancing the goalie situation.  Vigneault will also be under the pressure due to the fact that the Canucks have won their second straight President’s trophy and anything short of the Cup will be a major disappointment.

Kings

Goalie Jonathan Quick will literally have to carry the Kings if they want to make it out of the first round.  Quick had a monster year notching 35 wins and a 1.95 GGA to go along with .929 save % and a league best 10 shutouts.

But Los Angeles finished second to the last in the NHL in scoring.  Three top scorers were Anze Kopitar, Justin Williams, and Dustin Brown who all had over 20 or more goals a piece.  Former Flyer Mike Richards was their fourth leading scorer with just 18 goals and 26 assists.  Kings lost 1-0 6 times during the regular season, and were shutout 10 times.  Overall failed to provide Quick with support. Kings should get offensive support with Jeff Carter’s return.  

Prediction: Canucks win in 5.

Western Conference Series 2: #2 St. Louis Blues vs #7 San Jose Sharks

Blues

Blues finished second in the west with 109 points.  Ken Hitchcock has done an amazing job with this young Blues team.  Hitchcock took over in early November and took a 6-7 team to a legit contender.  Brian Elliot and Jaraslov Halak were a solid goalie duo in the regular season and will have to continue to play well in the playoffs. Blues need to focus on keeping games close, high scoring games could get them into trouble.

Sharks 

Sharks are 29th in the league in penalty kills.  Joe Thornton is going to be key for the Sharks to be a leader and a spark.  San Jose is probably more of a threat offensively, but the Blues have the better goaltending and defense in front of them.

One thing to watch out for is the play of goalie Antti Niemi.  Niemi played in 22 playoff games for Chicago in 2010, and 18 last year as the Sharks went to the conference finals. Niemi is a very good playoff goalie.    Sharks need balanced scoring in order to win the series.

Prediction: Blues in 6.

Western Conference Series 3: #3 Phoenix Coyotes vs #6 Chicago Blackhawks

Coyotes

Goalie Mike Smith had an amazing year for the Coyotes 38 wins 2.21 GAA and .930 save % and 8 shutouts.  Great big goalie, players play with confidence in front of him.

Blackhawks

Chicago had 106 points, more than the Coyotes 97.  Goalie situation is shaky.  Crawford and Ray Emery failed to really get starting spot, but Crawford will get the nod in the series.  Chicago can put up some goals but will definitely have their hands full with Mike Smith in goal.

Prediction: Chicago in 7.

Western Conference Series 4: #4 Nashville Predators vs #5 Detroit Red Wings

Predators 

Very strong goaltending in Pekke Rinne.  Rinne had 43 wins this season. He also posted a 2.39 goals-against average and .923 save percentage.  They have two strong defenders in Shea Weber and Ryan Sutter, great powerplay as well.  

Red Wings

Have had a lot of injuries and struggles this year.  Great at home during regular season but will have to get it done on the road as they don’t have home ice advantage.  Red Wings can be described as a team searching for an identity right now.  Goalie Jimmy Howard also had a very strong season.

Prediction: Detroit in 7.

Eastern Conference Series 1: #1 New York Rangers vs #8 Ottawa Senators

Rangers

Finished first in the east with 109 points.  Goalie Henrik Lundqvist is an absolute stud.  He has the ability to steal games for the Rangers with his great play.  Coach John Tortorella was fined for his comments about the Penguins, but he should have no problem pumping his team up.  Rangers can’t get cocky and overlook Ottawa.  Rangers have to pounce early, not let Ottawa think that they have a chance in the series.  

Senators

Jason Spezza will have to play extremely well for Senators to have a shot at taking down the Rangers.  Ottawa came in fourth in the league in scoring and if they can keep games close, they can definitely win some games with their great offensive ability.

There will be a lot of pressure on goalie Craig Anderson.  2.84 GAA, 33 wins, and .914 save %.  If the Senators can get solid play from Anderson and lots of scoring from offense, they could make this an interesting series.

Prediction: Rangers in 6.

Eastern Conference Series 2: #2 Boston Bruins vs #7 Washington Capitals

Bruins

Tim Thomas literally carried the Bruins to a Stanley Cup title last year.  He will have to play extremely well again if the Bruins want to go deep into the playoffs.  Bruins feature 6 20 goal scorers.  Tied for second in the NHL for scoring.  Boston has great defense and deep and balanced scoring which will make them tough to beat.

Capitals

Ovechkin, Backstrom, Semin and Green all have to play well at the same time. Nick Backstrom’s return is crucial for the Caps.  He compliments Ovechkin nicely and makes them a much more dangerous team.

Prediction: Boston in 5.

Eastern Conference Series 3: #3 Florida Panthers vs #6 New Jersey Devils

Panthers 

Finished with 94 points.  Very tough first round matchup in the New Jersey Devils.  Struggled down the end of the season.    Jose Theodore will have to come up big for the Panthers as they really aren’t that much of an offensive threat.  Finished 27th in the NHL in scoring.

Devils

Kovalchuck, Parise, and Clarkson 30 goal scorers, led the Devils to a 102 point season.  They have a veteran goalie in Marty Brodeur who will soon turn 40.  3 time Stanley Cup champ. He still has potential left to play amazing.  Defense can be good, but can also be inconsistent.  Overall, offense will have to carry the Devils to the second round. Kovalchuck has to stay hot, and Brodeur has to be better than he was during the regular season.

Prediction: Devils in 5.

Click here to read my prediction for the Penguins Flyers series.

Flyers Penguins Series Preview

The experts and analysts are drooling over Penguins stars Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin, and Jordan Staal.  They aren’t even giving the Flyers a chance and it’s very frustrating for Flyers fans.

I will say this about the Penguins: they are healthy with the return of Crosby and other players.  Their goalie Marc-Andre Fleury is a Stanley Cup champion and can be very difficult to beat, especially in the playoffs.  The Penguins depth also creates a lot of match-up problems for the Laviolette and the Flyers.

While the Penguins certainly have depth, the Flyers have a lot of depth as well.  Hartnell, Giroux, Simmonds, and Read all scored over 20 goals.  The Flyers also feature 8 players with 40 or more points and as a team the Flyers finished second in the NHL behind the Penguins.  And while the Penguins are healthy, the Flyers are also working their way back to full health.  Danny Briere and Nicklas Grossman both skated today and are expected to be in the Game 1 lineup for the Flyers.  Goalie Ilya Bryzgalov should be fully healthy and ready to go for the playoffs as well as he finished out the season nursing a foot injury.  

It’s safe to say that Bryzgalov is going to play a huge role in this series.  The Flyers are only going to go as far as Bryzgalov wants to take them.  If he can return to his form of March in which he went 10-2-1 with 4 shutouts and a 1.43 GAA, the Flyers can very easily go deep into the playoffs.

If Bryz struggles early in the series, his confidence, along with the confidence of his teammates, could be greatly shattered.  If he flourishes early, the Flyers can and will rally around him and play confidently in front of him.  If he lets in some cheap goals early in the series, it could have disastrous results for the Flyers.

This series is going to be an extremely physical and heated series.  I really like the Flyers chances because of their physical play and swagger.  I don’t like to get into regular season results when it comes to playoff predictions, but the Flyers definitely have confidence and some swagger against the Penguins.  The Flyers went 4-2 against the Pens during the season and won 2 out of 3 in Pittsburgh.  Again one can’t base too much off of the regular season, but winning 2 out of 3 in the other team's building is always good for confidence.  With former Penguins Max Talbot and Jaromir Jagr seeking revenge, I really think the Flyers can rally and spark their way into the next round.

One thing the Flyers have to be extremely careful of is falling behind early in games and early in the series.  If they come back to Philadelphia down 0-2, obviously this doesn’t bode well for the men in orange and black.  They need to pounce early, and if possible, try and steal both games in Pittsburgh which could give them confidence, and help them set the tone for the entire series.

Last year the Flyers got swept out of the playoffs by the eventual champion Boston Bruins.  After 2010’s wild run to the Cup, it’s safe to say that last year was a big disappointment.  But the Flyers orchestrated a massive roster overhaul over this past offseason, and what they have been able to accomplish this year is simply amazing.  Even though this year has been pretty successful thus far, the Flyers still want more and they know that while they may be young, they have the talent to make another run at the cup.

While the Penguins are favorites to go deep into the playoffs with Malkin and Crosby leading the way, a lot of people are counting out the Flyers and not even giving them a chance.  Personally, I feel that the role of underdog is a great place for the Flyers to be in as they attempt to knock off the Penguins.  A bunch of young guys with a good mix of veterans who all have a lot to prove is a recipe for success if you ask me.

But this series isn’t going to come down to statistics, regular season match-ups, or even who has the better goalie.  This series is going to come down to the team that has more heart and whoever wants it more will be the victor in this series.  I know that sounds kind of corny, but when you consider the heated rivalry that has been brewing between these two teams in recent years, it's very true.  These two teams don't like each other, and whoever plays more physically and with more confidence will win this series.

Prediction: Flyers in 6.  Win first two in Pittsburgh, split at home, drop game 5, and win the series at home in game 6.

Tune into my radio program tomorrow as my co-host and I will be doing a special playoff preview show, and giving you our predictions for the entire NHL playoffs.  We will start the show at roughly 3 PM. 

Breaking Down The Phillies Starting Rotation

Opening Day is less than 24 hours away! Today, I will bringing you a complete breakdown (last years basic stats, my projections, a scouting report, and what to be concerned about for each of the starting five for the Phightins!) of the Phillies 2012 Starting Rotation! Let's get started! 

      Opening Day Starting Rotation: 

          1. Roy Halladay

          2. Cliff Lee

          3. Vance Worley

          4. Cole Hamels

          5. Joe Blanton

Roy Halladay: 

2011 Stats:  

Wins: 19

Losses: 6

ERA: 2.35

Games Started: 32

Complete Games: 8


2012 Projections:
Wins: 20
Losses: 7
ERA: 2.42
Complete Games: 9

Scouting Report:

Halladay is a two time Cy young award winner almost winning his third last season, he is 8 time all star and has been an all star both seasons he has been a Phillie. He is what you call a workhorse, he has pitched over 220 innings every season for the last 6 seasons, including 250 innings two years ago, his first year with the Phillies. He has one of the best strikeout walk ratios over the last couple seasons. He does not allow many homeruns only giving up 10 home runs last year down from 24 in the 2010 season. Most outs that are in play outs occur as ground-ball outs and he knows how to attack hitters with strikes, he also makes it difficult for hitters to run up his pitch count. He has 35 complete games over the last four seasons. Halladay has a four pitch repertoire containing, a sinker,cutter,a curveball, and a splitter/change. His sinker has been around 92 mph over his career. His cutter is one of the best in the game and comes in about a half a mile or a mile per hour slower then his sinker. His changeup is usually been in the mid eighties, though during the 2011 season, the gap seemed to grow even larger at almost an impressive nine miles per hour slower. Halladay's  curve is usually in the high 70's around 76-79 mph. Halladay has great comand with all his pitches, and has great stamina being able to throw many complete games this season. Be sure to watch every game you can if he is pitching because you are going to be watching a future HOF member at work.

Concerns:

There is a reason they call Roy Halladay "Doc", thats exactly what he is when he steps onto that mound. Over his career he has an amazing win-loss record of 188-92 over his 14 year career and 66 complete games. There is no concerns for Halladay in any of the departments, injury,ERA, and etc.  No concerns for Halladay this year. 

Cliff Lee:

2011 Stats:

Wins: 17

Losses: 8

ERA: 2:40

Games Started: 32

Complete Games: 6

2012 Projections:

Wins: 18

Losses: 9

ERA: 2.39

Complete Games: 5

Scouting Report:

Cliff Lee also has a 4-pitch repertoire like his teammate Roy Halladay. Lee has a fastball which has been clocked in the low to mid 90s, an outstanding cutter usually in the high 80s, a mid 70s curveball, and a great change-up usually in the low 80s. Lee is known for his outstanding command on his 1st pitch strike percentage which is above 70% which is outstanding and having a swing and a miss rate around 10%. Here is an AL scout  assessment on Lee: "He's a hard-nosed pitcher who expects to go nine innings every time he pitches. He has the ability to pitch back to front [part of the plate] as well as side to side. He has pitchability more than overwhelming stuff, as he's capable of using his mix to a lot of locations in the zone and sequence [of pitches] is not at all to be expected." (qoute courtesy of http://www.dallasnews.com/)

Concerns:

The only concern for Lee is leaving the ball in the zone too much, last year he gave up many hits because he left the ball in the zone too much. This is the reason, that will be one of the very few reasons Lee will have bad games now and then. This is not a major concern either though so I would still expect Cliff to be an elite pitcher as he has been the last 4 years.

Vance Worley: 

2011 Stats:

Wins: 11

Losses: 3

ERA: 3.01

Games Started: 21

Complete Games: 1

2012 Projections:

Wins: 13

Losses: 5

ERA: 3.21

Games Started: 29

Complete Games: 2

Scouting Report:

Worley has a nice repertoire of pitches, not as great as Halladay's,Lee's,or Hamel's but a pretty nice repertoire for a 2nd year starter. Worley last year surprised the Phillies and the MLB going 12-4 last season in 25 games. Worley's fastball is around an average MLB fastball in the high 80s to low 90s and features some good secondary pitches. His secondary pitches contain, a cutter, a curve, a slider, and a change-up. He may wow you  now and then with some of his pitches but don't expect anything amazing with his pitches. Worley does have great command for a 24 year old pitcher, he also can change speeds on his pitches very well and is able to move his pitches up, down,left, and right. He throws strikes and you will find him ahead in the count most of the time. He is also like pitching great Greg Maddux in a way by have three variations of his fastball but none of them are considered straight fastballs. Worley does not have a pitch right now that would be considered a "put away pitch" but it is probably safe to say he's trying to find one. Worley loves throwing his fastball, last year through his first 6 starts he threw his fastball 65% of the time, that is a very high percentage and is very dangerous especially at the MLB level. Watch for Worley to throw a little less of his fastball this year but still throw it alot and use it effectively. 

Concern:

The major concern with Worley is his fastball as I said above, if Worley is able to throw his fastball less and use his secondary pitches more effectively he should be good to go this season. Worley should be able to have a decent season this year, I wouldn't expect anything spectacular this season but nothing shorter than at least 10 wins.

Cole Hamels:

2011 Stats:

Wins: 14

Losses: 9

ERA: 2.79

Game Started: 31

Complete Games: 3

2012 Projections:

Wins: 18

Losses: 6

ERA: 2.49

Complete Games: 4

Scouting Report:

Cole Hamels is entering his age 28 season, its amazing to think he's already been a Phillie for 6 years entering his 7th season. Hamels was nothing short of amazing last year, even though his record might not showing it only winning 14 wins and having 9 losses, Hamels did not get any run support during many of his starts last year, if he would have gone run support he would have won 16-18 games easily. Expect the same out of Hamels this year as he should win 16-18 games easily this season. His ERA showed his improvement from the 2010 season in which he had an ERA of 3.09 . It might only be a .30 of a difference but every point of a ERA counts. Hamels a nice repertoire of pitches containing a fastball which is in the high 80s to low 90s, he has one of the best if not the best change-up in the game that is usually in the low 80s. He also throws a curve-ball which is usually in the mid 70s and a cutter in which he recently added to his repertoire, his cutter is usually in the high 80s and low 90s. 

Note: Hamels is going into his contract season, he is also a favorite to win this years NL Cy Young award.

Concerns:

Like Halladay and Lee, threre is not much concern with Hamels, if anything it will be if he leaves his fastball over the middle of the plate or his curve ball hanging over the plate. Another thing to watch with Hamels is his mental ability to forget about hits and homeruns. In 2009, Hamels had his worst career season because of his mental focus, the last two seasons he has shown he could stay mentally tough. Hamels should have another great season statistically and mentally.

Joe Blanton:

2011 Stats:

Wins: 1

Losses: 2

ERA: 5.01

Games Started: 8

Complete Games: 0

2012 Projections:

Wins: 10

Losses: 8

ERA: 4.53

Complete Games: 0

Scouting Report:

Blanton is going into his 31 year old season, he's a former 1st round pick in 2002 out of University of Kentucky, and is going into his 10th major league season; he was traded to the Phillies in 2008 and was solid when he first got here but has been ok the last three seasons. Blanton does know how to throw strikes though and has what experts call a very compact delivery. He throws a league average fastball which is in the high 80s to low 90s range and will throw it on both sides of a plate, he also has a slider which is usually in the low 80s, a curve in the mid 70s and a change-up in the low 80s. Over the last two seasons he was showing a cutter now and then which was in the high 80s. His two best pitches have been his slider and change-up. He is known as a fly-ball pitcher but is prone to giving up the long ball as he has shown with his time with the Phillies. Though he still has some problems now and then Blanton is a league average 3rd or 4th starter but in this rotation he is a 5th starter and when Blanton is on his game, he is a solid 5th starter for our Phillies.

Concern: 

There is some concern coming into this season with his injury last season, seeing if he will be able to come back and be a pitcher the Phillies could rely on every fifth day. Another concern is his ability to give up the long ball over the last 3 seasons with the Phillies, Blanton has allowed 62 home runs. If Blanton can not hold down the fort every fifth day watch for long reliever Kyle Kendrick to take over in the fifth spot of the rotation.

Overall :


Last year the Phillies rotation was the best in the majors, I would not expect anything less than that this year. The Phillies starting pitching won over 70 games last season, I would definetaly expect between 65 and 70 again this season. They will need Worley and Blanton to step it up this year, since the Marlins and Nationals have gotten more talented and better, the NL East will be one of the toughest if not the toughest in the NL. I would not be surprised if Halladay, Lee and Hamels combine for 40-50 wins this season. The starting rotation will be holding down the fort this year as the Phillies offense is not as strong and powerful as it would be with Utley and Howard. But as a fellow fan, all we can do is sit back and watch this rotation do the best they can do. Go Phillies!

Optimistic For Phillies Opening Day

There is a lot of speculation going on right now about what to expect of the Phillies in the upcoming 2012 season.  According to Angelo Cataldi of 94 WIP: "The Phillies will not win the World Series in 2012. They will not win 100 games. The five-year run of division titles will end. And, despite the new expanded format, they will not even make the playoffs."

Cataldi titled his article: It Was Fun While It Lasted.  Cataldi brings up some good points namely about the status of Chase Utley and Ryan Howard.  He also says that the only bright spots on the Phillies are Halladay, Hamels, Lee, Papelbon, and Pence.

I personally feel that Cataldi is extremely flawed in his prediction because he is remembering only the pain of game 5 last year against the Cardinals and completely negating the whole 2011 regular season campaign.  Phillies fans and experts are quick to forget that the Phillies won a franchise record 102 games last year.  While game 5 was certainly painful, it doesn't take away from what the Phillies did in the regular season.  They were the best team in baseball and unfortunately got caught off guard by a very hot Cardinals team.

I have to admit that I'm somewhat worried about the Phillies.  I don't expect both Utley and Howard to be back fully healthy until late July, but ultimately I still think they have what it takes to win the division.  The starting rotation is in tact, the bullpen is improved with the addition of Papelbon, and the bench is much much deeper.

I know that last year's early playoff exit was extremely painful.  But we can't let last year's playoff defeat affect our hopes for this year.  The starting rotation is still the best in baseball, and the Phillies' bench is now arguably one of the deepest and best in the game.

What's more is I think the Phillies now realize that they have to play small ball in order to be successful.  The Phillies have been stressing the fact of taking pitches and getting on base all through out spring training.  And the addition of Juan Pierre who is a contact hitter who can steal bases, tells me that the Phillies are committed to manufacturing runs in the upcoming season.

When the Phillies and Pirates play tomorrow, the pain of last year will be forgotten and the excitement of a brand new season will give hope to all Phillies fans.    

Eagles Sign Offensive Tackle Bell

Today the Eagles signed free agent Demetress Bell, tackle from the Buffalo Bills to a 5 year deal.  Bell was drafted in 2008 in the 7th round by the Buffalo Bills.

After sitting out for the 2008 season, Bell was named the starting left tackle in 2009.  Bell got hurt midway through 2009 and only played in 8 games.  In 2010 he started and played in all 16 games for the Bills, but played in just 7 games last year.

Bell took over when Jason Peters signed with the Eagles in 2009, and now he will once again be attempting to replace Peters.  Although he has been injured, Bell was still considered one of the better offensive linemen available in free agency.

Reid had this to say on the signing: “Demetress was one of the top free agent offensive linemen available this year and we are happy to be able to add him to our squad. We had a chance to meet him over the weekend and study him extensively on tape and we came away quite impressed with what we saw and heard. He’s a great athlete.” 

I really like this signing because it enables the Eagles to go ahead and bolster their defense in the draft.  When Peters got hurt last week, it seemed like maybe the Eagles would have to change their plans of drafting a linebacker or defensive tackle and instead go after an offensive lineman.  Now with a suitable replacement, the Eagles can go ahead and look into drafting a safety, linebacker, or defensive tackle.

It will be interesting to see how Bell fits in with the rest of the line.  Toward the end of last year the offensive line really started to gel.  Herremans, Watkins, Kelce, Mathis, and Peters eventually came together and provided Vick with some good protection.  The Eagles certainly recognized the improved play of the offensive line by re-signing both Mathis and Herremans to long term deals.  So when Peters went down, it was a crushing blow to the offensive line.  Hopefully Bell can come in and fill in nicely for Peters while he is out.

Peters underwent successful surgery yesterday, and while no official timetable has been set for his return, it looks like he will miss over half of the 2012 season.  The Eagles will have to do without the pro bowler and hope that Bell will be a suitable substitute.

Looking ahead to the rest of the off season, in the draft the Eagles need to focus on defense, defense, defense.  In addition, the Eagles should also look to lock up Lesean McCoy and not have his contract status be a distraction in training camp.      

Flyers Lose To Rangers, Again

If tonight's game were to be decided after the first two minutes of the game, the Flyers would have won.  The Flyers came out in the early going with a ton of energy and generated lots of shots and traffic in front of Lundquist.  Early on, Simmonds had an excellent shot out in front but Lundquist made a dazzling save to keep things scoreless.

Soon after the Rangers struck first thanks to a wrist shot goal by Ryan McDonagh in front.  The Rangers scored a few minutes after, this time thanks to Brian Boyle.  Bryzgalov made a nice save but the rebound scooted out in front of the net and Boyle was able to slap it home.  The Rangers then scored two more goals in the period but we really don't have to get into the details.

After a devastating first, the Flyers were finally able to solve Lundquist late in the second period.  The Flyers were able to score in front thanks to Jakub Voracek who finally put one past the veteran goaltender.  Ultimately the Flyers were never able to mount a comeback and lost by a final of 5-3.  With the loss the Flyers got swept in the season series by the Rangers losing all 6 games.

Ultimately the game halts any playoff excitement that the Flyers may have built as a result of Sunday's big victory over the Penguins.  Tonight's loss brings back the crushing reality that the Flyers simply can't beat the Rangers.

While I certainly like the Flyers' chances against the Penguins in the first round, anything beyond that seems extremely doubtful at this point.  For some reason the Rangers flat out intimidate the Flyers and as a result the Flyers typically get off to bad starts against them.

While the Flyers were clean swept in the regular season by the Rangers, the playoffs literally are completely different.  The Flyers could very easily sweep the Rangers in the postseason because NHL playoffs are just that peculiar where anything can happen.

To add insult to injury, tonight the Penguins are beating the Bruins and in all likelihood will hold a 3 point lead over the Flyers with just two games remaining for both teams.  The Flyers will host the Sabres on Thursday night as they continue to pursue the fourth seed and try to build momentum as the playoffs draw ever closer.  

Flyers Building Excitement As Playoffs Near

Today the Flyers beat up on Sidney Crosby and the Penguins winning by a final of 6-4.  Even without the services of Ilya Bryzgalov, the Flyers still had a pretty nice weekend picking up 3 points in the process.  The Flyers are now just 1 point behind the Penguins for fourth place in the Eastern conference. 

Needless to say, Tuesday's game against the Rangers is going to be the first of three important games this week as the Flyers try to get home ice advantage in the first round of the playoffs.  Barring any serious last minute shakeups, it looks right now as if the Flyers will be facing the Penguins in the first round.  But it still remains to be seen who will come away with home ice.  

In addition to playing the Rangers on Tuesday, the Flyers then host the Sabres on Thursday, and travel to Pittsburgh on Saturday in what could very easily end up being the deciding factor for home ice.  The Penguins have a very tough final three games as well as they travel to Boston on Tuesday, host the Rangers on Thursday, and then host the Flyers on Saturday.  

Hopefully Bryzgalov can return on Tuesday and play well in the final three games to help the Flyers get home ice for the first round.  I'm definitely excited by the Flyers offensive surge in past few games, but I will be even more excited if they can at least put up a fight against the Rangers.  

The Rangers have beaten the Flyers five times this year, and the Flyers faithful at the Wells Fargo Center need to come out completely fired up on Tuesday night.  

All in all I think we are in store for a very exciting week of hockey.  Keeping track of the Flyers progress and the Penguins is all going to culminate in a Saturday match-up that could have major playoff implications.  

While I would love for the Flyers to win on Tuesday against the Rangers, ultimately I think they are going to drop one of the two during the week.  The Rangers scare me because they are the Rangers, and the Sabres scare me because right now they are just two points behind the eighth place Washington Capitals.  They are going to be absolutely clawing and scrapping for any type of victory on Thursday, and the Flyers are definitely going to have their hands full.  

The Penguins also have a tough schedule as they will be facing the Bruins and Rangers during the week.  While it would be nice for them to drop both games, like the Flyers I think they will win at least one.  Ultimately I think it's going to come down to Saturday's game to see who gets the fourth seed.  

We can only hope that the offense stays hot, and that Bryzgalov can return healthy and ready to go for the important week of hockey.  One thing is for certain: playoff hockey is almost here.